'Averill was an inspiration in how to walk into your twilight years'

The finest writing in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is found, on occasion, in the obituaries, when a family member or friend portrays the deceased and deftly evades every cliche.

The obit for Ave Thayer, 97, is an example. It’s a work of art.

Here are three paragraphs that speak volumes about the quiet man’s life:

“In his Navy Bible, Averill taped a clipping of life goals. For example: Never break your word. Never show off your greater knowledge. Never act superior to others. Keep from finding fault. Don't talk more than others. Anyone who knew Averill knows that he kept those goals that he valued as a 17-year-old sailor.”

“Averill was an inspiration in how to walk into your twilight years, accepting and adapting to the changes that age brings while continuing to pursue both longtime and new interests. In recent years, he followed the research on phytonocides, substances emitted by trees, as scientists proved what he had always known: that being near trees is good for human health.”

“It cannot be over-emphasized how much Averill Thayer valued his time outdoors. At his request, there will be no services. Instead, we encourage you to go outside, listen to the birds, watch the river flow, enjoy the flowers, sit under a tree, and breathe the Alaskan air.”

I didn’t really know him, but I had the pleasure of interviewing Thayer for a column in 1982 when he retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 57.

Thayer, the first manager of what became the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, claimed it would be “hard to generate anything interesting” about him. He was friendly and polite, but he wasn’t eager to talk about himself.

“He was as economical with words about himself as others are with their money,” I wrote. In reading his obituary I see that maybe I got that part right after our meeting more than 40 years ago.

I am surprised to find out now that his family first heard the story John McPhee relayed about Thayer when they saw it in the pages of “Coming Into the Country.”